Page 37 of The Bachelor
“I’m surprised you drink it at all,” the duke said as he poured Joshua a cup. “Most Englishmen prefer tea.”
“I picked up a craving for coffee in the marines,” Joshua said, adding a generous amount of milk to the cup before drinking.
“My friends think it’s odd that I prefer it, but I got in the habit of having it for breakfast while growing up in Berlin.” The duke sighed. “And I need whatever sustenance I can get because I have to play bodyguard to Gwyn in your stead today.”
Joshua sipped some of the bracing brew. “You have my complete sympathies.”
Thornstock narrowed his gaze on Joshua. “Is she giving you trouble?”
Absolutely, but not in the way Thornstock probably thought. “No more than usual,” Joshua said evasively. He merely needed time away from Gwyn to get his reckless urges under control.
“Well, I doubt any questionable gentlemen will approach Gwyn inside the palace, even if theycouldget near her with that huge gown she’ll be wearing. So I’m not carrying a pistol in this coat. If Malet shows up, which is highly unlikely, I’ll just thrash him. I’ve wanted to do that anyway.”
Joshua tensed. For all his seeming indolence, Thornstock was a skilled duelist and regularly went to Gentleman Jackson’s academy for lessons from the famous pugilist. So the duke could certainly thrash Malet many times over. And if Thornstock ever heard how Joshua had behaved with Gwyn . . .
No. That must not happen. Joshua’s father had died in a senseless, scandalous duel that had devastated Beatrice and resulted in Joshua being sent off to war. Not that he regretted becoming a Royal Marine, but his life would have been vastly different if his father hadn’t died and left his children without a penny. So Joshua wasn’t about to fight Thornstock in a duel, not if he could avoid it.
“In any case,” the duke said, “I’m told these affairs go on for hours, so we probably won’t return until evening. Fortunately, the ball Grey is throwing for Gwyn and Beatrice is at his town house, which means Sheridan doesn’t have to worry about hosting it here.” He regarded Joshua steadily. “I intend to make only a brief appearance, so I do expect you to be present when we arrive at Grey’s.”
“Of course. It’s supposedly my reason for coming to London, remember? To see my sister’s debut ball?”
“Ah, yes. I forgot about that.” Thornstock sipped some coffee. “Malet isn’t invited, of course, but he might try to attend anyway, so we’d best be prepared.”
“I agree. The man can be unpredictable.” As evidenced by the bastard’s showing up yesterday at that tavern.
Pure rage coursed through Joshua whenever he thought of how close Malet had come to her. He actuallywishedMalet would trespass this evening, so he could use that as an excuse to shoot the devil.
It still gnawed at him that he didn’t know how Malet had learned about their archery lessons. Last night he’d questioned the servants here, and then the servants at Greycourt’s mansion. None had spoken to Malet. Or rather, none hadadmittedto speaking to Malet.
That reminded him of his initial suspicion that Malet and Gwyn had known each other in the past. “Speaking of Malet, do you know if he and Gwyn ever met before that day he tried to kidnap her at the estate?”
Looking grim, Thornstock straightened his newspaper with careful movements. “If they have, I was unaware of it.”
Thornstock was lying, damn him. Joshua was tempted to mention Malet’s appearance yesterday, but the duke already knew Malet was attempting to kidnap Gwyn. That would not be news enough to make the fellow confide in him.
And there was always the possibility that Joshua was wrong, that what he read as conspiracy between the two siblings was really just the closeness twins shared. No point in raising his benefactor’s hackles unnecessarily.
“Because you won’t need me until evening, do you mind if I leave as soon as the ladies show off their gowns?” Joshua asked. “I have an appointment at noon with the War Secretary, and given all the carriages that will be headed for the palace, I wouldn’t mind getting an early start.”
“You can leave now, if you wish.”
“And miss seeing Beatrice bedecked in her finery? She’d never forgive me.”
The duke regarded him with a pensive look. “Once in a while, I wish Gwyn was as fond of me as Bea clearly is of you.”
“No, you don’t, trust me. Beatrice is already planning to introduce me to half the women at tonight’s ball. When I remind her that I’ll be working, she dismisses that with a wave.” He snorted. “She never stops matchmaking. Apparently, she thinks it far more important that I find a wife than that I make a living.”
“Good God, I can’t imagine anything worse than Gwyn trying to pick a wife for me.” Thornstock drank some coffee. “By the way, why are you meeting with the War Secretary?”
Used to keeping his affairs close to his chest, he hesitated to reveal that to the duke. After all, the meeting might come to nothing. “It’s a minor matter having to do with my half-pay.”
“Ah. Of course,” the duke said blandly. “I forget that you are still a marine officer.”
“Speaking of that, I should go dress. This is an official visit, so they’ll expect me to be in uniform.”
“Of course, of course.” Thornstock pulled out his pocket watch. “I daresay the ladies won’t be down for another hour at least anyway.”
Joshua headed upstairs. It didn’t take Sheridan’s valet long to get him into his uniform, although Joshua noticed his coat was tighter and his pants looser. That was what came of relying on one’s arms to compensate for a damaged leg. It was an important reminder that he wasn’t like other men. That he never would be.
